Welcome To Wirral

This service is not usually appropriate for individuals with:

• Mild anxiety disorders
• Primary diagnosis of alcohol or other substance misuse
• Brain damage or other organic disorders including dementia
• Learning disabilities
• Exclusive diagnosis of personality disorder
• Recent history of self harm but not suffering from a psychotic illness or severe depressive illness
• Crisis related solely to relationship issues

What is the service intended to achieve?

People experiencing severe mental health difficulties should be treated in the least restrictive environment with the minimum of disruption to their lives. Crisis home treatment can be provided in a range of settings and offers an alternative to inpatient care. The majority of people who use our services and their families prefer community-based treatment. Research in the UK and elsewhere has shown that clinical and social outcomes achieved by community-based treatment are at least as good as those achieved in hospital.

The crisis home treatment service:

• Acts as a ‘gatekeeper’ to mental health services, rapidly assessing individuals with acute mental health problems and referring them to the most appropriate service;
• For individuals with acute, severe mental health problems for whom home treatment would be appropriate, provides immediate multi-disciplinary, community based treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Ensures that individuals experiencing acute, severe mental health difficulties are treated in the least restrictive environment as close to home as clinically possible
• Remain involved with the person until the crisis has resolved and the person is linked into on-going care
• If hospitalisation is necessary, be actively involved in discharge planning and provide intensive care at home to enable early discharge
• Reduce the person’s vulnerability to crisis and maximise their resilience